Denied

[GGG1975 9]

I'm trying to find people who were denied the first time through the US Consulate in Morocco and what did you do after being denied or receiving a 221g and your file was sent back to USCIS? Did you hire a attorney? Where there more fees and if so how much? I want to be proactive and no what to expect, if this occurs to us. If you were denied and was dealing with any North African consulate, I'm actually interested in your story.

Thank you,

GGG1975

[Mithra 1,185]

Talk with tany1157, her husband was denied within the last year and they handled themselves and their case beautifully, IMO. They were able to overcome their denial and he is now with her in the US. If I got denied, she is who I would talk to, personally.

ETA - her husband is Moroccan.

Edited August 7, 2012 by Mithra

[GGG1975 9]

thank you!

[Anh map 2,098]

It depends on what the reason is for the denial. Typically it is about not supplying enough proof of a bona fide relationship and/or the beneficiary not having a good interview.

Your course of action will be dictated by the specifics of each case.

[Darnell 8,478]

Hi ! Welcome to VJ ! These folk can be found using the search tools here.

What have you tried, and how is it working for you ?

[GGG1975 9]

It depends on what the reason is for the denial. Typically it is about not supplying enough proof of a bona fide relationship and/or the beneficiary not having a good interview.

Your course of action will be dictated by the specifics of each case.

Hi, I've seen your post in the past and you often give sound advice. I hope your process is going smoothly. Unfortunately in Morocco, most of the time they don't even interview the person. They'll have them sit down and hand them the 221g and say goodbye. As mentioned earlier, they have a high visa denial rate and it mainly runs across class lines.

One lady was denied because her husband couldn't identify the State in which she lived in the US. They actually put that on the denial letter. He could only State she lived in America. So sometimes they are simply looking for a reason to deny you. We have definitely supplied enough evidence. I have a lawyer now who put our packet together and made sure we had all the necessary documentation. However, I don't think he'll be a good choice for the appeal because he's not very supportive or positive about our chances. I want someone to at least believe we have a chance. Because no one can sit down with a person for 10 minutes and determine fraud it's not logical. It's a 50 to 50 shot like gambling. And many people have been approved based on having the money and end up beating their wife or leaving their wife after getting to America (I'm talking about cases from Morocco).

[GGG1975 9]

Hi ! Welcome to VJ ! These folk can be found using the search tools here.

What have you tried, and how is it working for you ?

We are in the early stages but Morocco has a high denial rate and I want to be proactive. I think eventually we'll get through USCIS and NVC but the consulate is something unpredictable. However, denials fall high among class lines. And the appeal process can take a while so I want us to be prepared for the worst and hope for a miracle.

[msheesha 548]

Hi, I've seen your post in the past and you often give sound advice. I hope your process is going smoothly. Unfortunately in Morocco, most of the time they don't even interview the person. They'll have them sit down and hand them the 221g and say goodbye. As mentioned earlier, they have a high visa denial rate and it mainly runs across class lines.

One lady was denied because her husband couldn't identify the State in which she lived in the US. They actually put that on the denial letter. He could only State she lived in America. So sometimes they are simply looking for a reason to deny you. We have definitely supplied enough evidence. I have a lawyer now who put our packet together and made sure we had all the necessary documentation. However, I don't think he'll be a good choice for the appeal because he's not very supportive or positive about our chances. I want someone to at least believe we have a chance. Because no one can sit down with a person for 10 minutes and determine fraud it's not logical. It's a 50 to 50 shot like gambling. And many people have been approved based on having the money and end up beating their wife or leaving their wife after getting to America (I'm talking about cases from Morocco).

Morocco is definitely a tough and unpredictable consulate. But, where are you getting the information about no interview and money having anything to do with approval, etc? Are you saying the American consulate officers accept bribes?

Just out of curiosity, do you think it's okay that a spouse doesn't know the state his wife lives in?

It seems like it would be helpful for you to review a list of interview questions asked during interviews in Morocco. The state in which a spouse lives is the least of the questions!

Are there red flags in your case that make you worried?

[GGG1975 9]

Morocco is definitely a tough and unpredictable consulate. But, where are you getting the information about no interview and money having anything to do with approval, etc? Are you saying the American consulate officers accept bribes?

Just out of curiosity, do you think it's okay that a spouse doesn't know the state his wife lives in?

It seems like it would be helpful for you to review a list of interview questions asked during interviews in Morocco. The state in which a spouse lives is the least of the questions!

Are there red flags in your case that make you worried?

Unfortunately in Morocco it doesn't matter if your husband can answer questions. In a lot of cases they don't even interview the person. They don't take bribes (Not that I know of but anything is possible). If your spouse is poor they often deny those applications in Morocco. And yes, you should know the State in which your spouse lives in the US. But they denied this person for not being able to locate the State on a map. My husband knows my address and has mailed me things but he's not familiar with America just like I'm not totally informed of all the cities in Morocco.

Our cases abides by all the policy requirements so there should not be any red flags but the unspoken rules are what can hurt you. As stated before I have a friend that use to work for immigration and caseworkers are not suppose to hold cases if the application is in order but they do.

And in my case I'm being proactive. There are many people that go through Morocco without red flags and they are still denied. It's the nature of the consulate.

[Mithra 1,185]

Honestly, I've never heard of one case in the 6 yrs of being active in this forum where a beneficiary was not interviewed and then denied. They may not ask a ton of questions but there is an interview. Also, the COs don't just deny willy nilly, there are good reasons for denials. No one will admit that though. Most people will get butt hurt and act like their relationship is 100% normal and the CO was just being mean and evil. Sometimes the petitioner has no idea what the CO may have found or observed to make their decision to deny a case. Don't believe every story you hear.

ETA - you are absolutely correct in thinking you may get a denial based soley on the limited amount of time you have known your husband. That's not to say your relationship is not authentic. It's just that most people don't meet, get engaged and then get married within 5 months. That's not enough time to get to know someone well enough to make a rational decision to get married, IMO. Especially if you're unable to see that person daily and observe their behavior. Marriage within 5 months is impulsive and the COs will most likely see it that way. It's good that you're preparing yourself now. That's not to say you will get denied 100% but there is a good chance that it will happen.

Edited August 7, 2012 by Mithra

[tany1157 161]

Thanks Mithra We just tried to do our best. To the OP, we were actually denied 2 times. First time on the K1, and second on our CR1. I did see your PM, and will get back to you in more detail later today, but in the meantime, I have links to all our interviews here....

http://www.visajourney.com/timeline/profile.php?id=66992

Being proactive in Morocco is a great way to go. Sometimes no matter what you do, they still deny because they have a feeling there is fraud (which happened in our case). Persistence and patience are key. Good luck

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/291886-the-hoping-not-to-be-denied-at-casablanca-thread/page__st__735 The last page of this thread has the reasons why they denied us, just so you can see...those were straight from the CO...You guys getting married 5 months after meeting will make your entire case suspect, as we got engaged just as quickly, and that was a big deal. We got married a year later.

Edited August 7, 2012 by tany1157

[GGG1975 9]

Honestly, I've never heard of one case in the 6 yrs of being active in this forum where a beneficiary was not interviewed and then denied. They may not ask a ton of questions but there is an interview. Also, the COs don't just deny willy nilly, there are good reasons for denials. No one will admit that though. Most people will get butt hurt and act like their relationship is 100% normal and the CO was just being mean and evil. Sometimes the petitioner has no idea what the CO may have found or observed to make their decision to deny a case. Don't believe every story you hear.

ETA - you are absolutely correct in thinking you may get a denial based soley on the limited amount of time you have known your husband. That's not to say your relationship is not authentic. It's just that most people don't meet, get engaged and then get married within 5 months. That's not enough time to get to know someone well enough to make a rational decision to get married, IMO. Especially if you're unable to see that person daily and observe their behavior. Marriage within 5 months is impulsive and the COs will most likely see it that way. It's good that you're preparing yourself now. That's not to say you will get denied 100% but there is a good chance that it will happen.

Are you familiar with Morocco Consulate? It's one of the toughest to get through. I am part of a support group of women who are married to Moroccan men and most if not all had to go through the denial process. And all are still married after years with their spouses. But initially they were deemed fraud. And some of their spouses didn't get interviewed or asked a question. They were handed the 221g upon sitting down and that was the end of the interview. Yes, it's crazy but that's the US Consulate in Morocco. So predicting fraud isn't something that can be read about or detected with a 10 minute or 1 hour interview. That's the point I was trying to make.

In addition, the lawyer I have now informed me that he had a client years ago that worked at the consulate and did interviews. Him and his American wife hired my lawyer because the husband was aware of the in-fighting and how tough it is to get through the Consulate and he was an ex-worker. He knew the people in the office and was still afraid. So much so they paid my current lawyer to handle his case. So you can only image what other people have to go through.

Thanks Mithra We just tried to do our best. To the OP, we were actually denied 2 times. First time on the K1, and second on our CR1. I did see your PM, and will get back to you in more detail later today, but in the meantime, I have links to all our interviews here....

http://www.visajourney.com/timeline/profile.php?id=66992

Being proactive in Morocco is a great way to go. Sometimes no matter what you do, they still deny because they have a feeling there is fraud (which happened in our case). Persistence and patience are key. Good luck

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/291886-the-hoping-not-to-be-denied-at-casablanca-thread/page__st__735 The last page of this thread has the reasons why they denied us, just so you can see...those were straight from the CO...You guys getting married 5 months after meeting will make your entire case suspect, as we got engaged just as quickly, and that was a big deal. We got married a year later.

Yes, I was made aware that our timeline is a red flag. So let the battle begin:).

[aaydrian 479]

One lady was denied because her husband couldn't identify the State in which she lived in the US. They actually put that on the denial letter. He could only State she lived in America. So sometimes they are simply looking for a reason to deny you. We have definitely supplied enough evidence. I have a lawyer now who put our packet together and made sure we had all the necessary documentation. However, I don't think he'll be a good choice for the appeal because he's not very supportive or positive about our chances. I want someone to at least believe we have a chance. Because no one can sit down with a person for 10 minutes and determine fraud it's not logical. It's a 50 to 50 shot like gambling. And many people have been approved based on having the money and end up beating their wife or leaving their wife after getting to America (I'm talking about cases from Morocco).

The only way money helps get people approved is if they pay the appropriate fees for their applications to be processed and the petitioner and petitioned get a lot of face to face time because they can afford numerous planes tickets and or accommodations to help solidify an existing and bonafide relationship.

Also if your husband/wife/fiance isn't sure about the state where his/her spouse resides then that says a lot. Certain answers should be correct reflex replies to certain questions. Plus if you are quickly denied at the interview then the consular officer had little to no faith in your petition. COs know who they will and will not approve based on the evidence of each case so you will find that depending on the info they get, a CO who is fully convinced of a true/disingenuous relationship may ask very few questions.

[Mithra 1,185]

Well, just like yourself, I have known people for years who have gone through it both successfully and unsuccessfully. I'm WELL aware it's a tough consulate hence why I told you there is a good chance that you will get denied. Talk to some of the women on this board particularly the ones who are level headed (like tany)and have had a denial recently. Take any of the stories you hear on your support group with a grain of salt. I know about these support groups and the kinds of women that are involved in them.

[GGG1975 9]

The only way money helps get people approved is if they pay the appropriate fees for their applications to be processed and the petitioner and petitioned get a lot of face to face time because they can afford numerous planes tickets and or accommodations to help solidify an existing and bonafide relationship.

Also if your husband/wife/fiance isn't sure about the state where his/her spouse resides then that says a lot. Certain answers should be correct reflex replies to certain questions. Plus if you are quickly denied at the interview then the consular officer had little to no faith in your petition. COs know who they will and will not approve based on the evidence of each case so you will find that depending on the info they get, a CO who is fully convinced of a true/disingenuous relationship may ask very few questions.

Ok, I'll say it one more time. The person who interviewed (not my spouse) knew the State but he was unable to point it out on a MAP. Secondly, Morocco does not care about how many trips. There are people who had 3 or 4 trips and they are denied compared to people with 1 or 2 trips that's approved. Even lawyers are afraid of Morocco because the Consulate has high denial rates and it determinations are random with one exception. Classism is a factor. But when the interview occurs I'll definitely let everyone know the results. There is no reason for us to be denied. I am a US citizen, I have the income, I own my home, both our families have been involved in this process, we qualify based on the requirements to file, and we have plenty of evidence to show legitimacy. But in Morocco this does not matter. It's all about the mood of the interviewer. They are awarded for the number of denials not the number of approvals. That's Morocco, folks.